Incandescent igniting-tube for gas-engines.



Y Patented Aug. 27, [90L 8. J. ANDERSON.

INCANDESBENT IGNITING TUBE FOR GAS ENGINES.

(Application filed Jan. 22, 1901.)

(No Model.)

AHZ F To all whom it may concern.-

UNITED STATES PATENT 'Q FICE."

SVEN J. ANDERSON, OF IVALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

'INCANDESCENT IGNITING- TUBE FOR GAS-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,384, dated August 27, 1901-.

Serial No. 44.321. (No maria)" Be it known that I, SVEN J. ANDERSON, of Waltham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Igniting- Tubes for Gas-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to explosive gas-engines employing an igniting-tube heated by the exhaust-gases.

The object of the invention is to provide for greater certainty of operation and increased accessibility of parts for renewal or repair.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a plan view of a gas-engine provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 represents a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents an enlarged section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents an enlarged section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the main casing of the engine, which includes a cylinder 2, a combustion-chamber 3 at the head or upper end of said cylinder, and suit= able inlet and exhaust chambers 4 5, communicating with the combustion-chamber through ports or passages 6 7, controlled by inlet and exhaust valves 8 9. The main casing also includes a water jacket or chamber 10, partly surrounding the combustion-chamber 3, for keeping the walls of the chamber cool. A portion of the wall of the combustion-chamber is, however, unprotected by the water-jacket, and into this portion is screwed a hollow thimble or ignition-tube 11, closed at its outer end and communicating at its inner end with the interior of the combustionchamber.

In the side wall of the exhaust-chamber 5, at a point also unprotected by the Waterjacket, is screwed an exhaust pipe or conduit 12, having a T-shaped outer branch 13 surrounding the ignition-tube 11. and a bent inner branch or elbow 14, which connects with the exhaust-chamber 5. The exhaust gases, flame, or products of combustion escaping past the valve 9 pass through the exhaustpipe 12 and surround the igniting-tube 11,

which is thereby maintained in a state of incandescenceand serves to ignite each fresh charge entering the combustion-chamber 3 and becoming compressed therein upon the compression stroke of the piston. To in crease the heat-absorptive surface of the tube 11, it is provided with external ribs or corrugations 15 15.

The object of terminating the water-jacket in the manner described is to furnish an uncooled portion of the combustion-chamber and exhaust-chamber walls for the attachment of the ignition-tube and exhaust-pipe in order that these parts shall not be readily cooled by conduction through the metal surfaces, but shall at all times be kept as hot as possible. This object is furthered by mounting the parts themselves externally upon the engine-casing and as far as possible from the influence of the water-jacket, yet not so far away from the combustion-chamber as to allow the exhaust-gases to cool down beyond their point of usefulness.

The exhaust-pipe 12 is surrounded by a pro tective casing 16, which is removably secured by bolts 18 to the main casing and is sepa-. rated from the outer portion of the exhaustpipe by a space 17, into which the exhaust- 8o gases pass from the pipe 12, the exhaust-pipe being thereby insulated and protected from radiation to the outer atmosphere. From casing 16 leads an outlet-pipe 20.

The external mounting of the ignition-tube and exhaust-pipe renders these parts easily accessible for renewal, cleaning, or repair. The outer end of the ignition tube 11, is squared at 19 for the reception of a wrench and can be easily reached and removed through the outer end of the branch 13 of exhaust-pipe 12. After the removal of the ignition-tube the exhaust-pipe can be unscrewed and removed.

I am aware of the prior use of ignitiontubes heated by the exhaust-flame of a gas engine and donot claim such a device broadly.

I claim- I 1. In an explosive-engine the combination of the casing of the engine, a combustionchamber therein, an exhaust-conduit, a hol- 10o low igniting-thimble in said conduit open to the combustion-chamber, a casing surrounding said conduit and separated therefrom by a space, which receives the exhaust from said conduit, and an exhaust-outlet from said casing. l V A 2. In an explosive-engine the combination of the main'easing of the engine, a combustion-chamber therein, a hollow igniting-thimble open to the combustion-chamber, and an exhaust-conduit having an outer branch e'urrounding the igniting-thimble, and an inner bent branch 01' elbow connecting with the ex- 

